2020 Toyota RAV4 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about two things: the fuel tank and gauge not behaving as advertised, and a 12-volt battery that goes flat and leaves the vehicle unable to start. Both are usually reported within the first few thousand miles. A smaller but consistent group describes steering that wanders or loses power assist, an "Engine Maintenance Required" message traced to a coolant valve, and water collecting inside the door panels.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel tank won't fill to rated capacity; gauge reads low

   • 92 complaints (14%)
   • median 543 mi at 0.4 yrs old (62 state mileage)
   • filed 2019–2025

   Owners report that the pump shuts off well before the tank is full and that the gauge or distance-to-empty display never shows full, so the usable range is shorter than expected. Fill-ups from near empty often stop around nine or ten gallons. Complaints describe dealers saying the readings were normal or blaming fuel additives, with no change afterward. Reported from the first fill-ups onward, mostly under about 4,000 miles.

   What to check: On a test drive, note where the gauge sits after a fill-up and how much fuel the pump accepts from near empty against the stated tank size. Ask the seller whether the fuel sender or tank has been worked on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have been having an issue with the gas tank of my 2020 Toyota RAV4 hybrid le. The tank can never be filled to it's full capacity of 14.5 gallons. I can only add 9 or sometimes 10 gallons and the gas tank gauge shows only 3/4 of the tank filled affecting the mpg and the range of the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11365289, filed 2020-10, 300 miles

   “Vehicle's fuel tank is listed by Toyota company as 14.5 gallon capacity and, in reality, this tank's shape only allows it to fill to approximately 9 gallons. Additionally, the fuel gauges miles to empty does not appear to read the amount correctly. I have almost run out of fuel on the highway as a result of the vehicle's improper reading. The actual gas in the tank was much lower than the vehicle itself told me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11372724, filed 2020-11, 600 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   12-volt battery drains, vehicle won't start

   • 66 complaints (10%)
   • median 3,350 mi at 0.9 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $900 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners describe returning to a vehicle that will not start after sitting for a day or several days, requiring a jump start or a tow. Some were told by the dealer that short trips drained the battery or that diagnostics found nothing; others had the battery replaced one or more times. A few report the doors would not unlock and the shifter would not move out of park. Mostly reported under about 15,000 miles, usually after the vehicle sat unused for a few days.

   What to check: Ask whether the battery has been replaced and whether any parasitic-drain test was done. If the vehicle sits for days at a time, check that it starts from cold and ask for any repair records tied to a no-start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Serious d-cell battery discharge issue. Twice our new RAV4 hybrid has had to be jumped and taken to dealer for a dead battery. Dealer found nothing fixable but replaced the battery. 1st time we were stranded in hotel parking lot after trip abroad. 2nd time was at home. Cargurus sends me 5 complaints a day for others with the same issue. Vehicle is not reliable.”

   NHTSA complaint #11343488, filed 2020-08, 500 miles

   “Our 2020rav4 hybrid has failed to start twice (5/5/2020 and 12/5/2020) after sitting only 1-2 days in our garage. It required jumping to be recharged. From the cargurus site, this seems to be a common problem with no definite solution yet, perhaps a bad batch of batteries, perhaps a sofrware update needed, or something else? Toyota needs to figure it out and fix it! We don't feel like a new, expensive vehicle can be depended on.”

   NHTSA complaint #11378169, filed 2020-12, 4,600 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering wander, pull, and loss of power assist

   • 53 complaints (8%)
   • median 3,000 mi at 0.9 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe the vehicle wandering or pulling to one side so that constant corrections are needed to hold a lane, with alignments done and the behavior returning. Others report the steering going heavy or losing power assist while driving. Some owners reference the electric power steering recall but say their vehicle was not included. Wander and pull are described on new vehicles at very low mileage; loss of assist appears from about 10,000 to 75,000 miles.

   Recall 20V373000

   What to check: Drive it at highway speed and see whether it tracks straight without steady correction, and ask whether an alignment or any steering repair has been done. Ask the seller to confirm whether recall 20V373000 was performed on this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am writing this letter requesting your assistance in resolving a continuing problem I have experienced regarding my recently purchased 2020 Toyota rav 4. It seems my car cannot stay in the driving lane, even for a short distance, without my having to constantly adjust the steering. I have taken my car four times to authorized Toyota repair shops, but each time they were unable to correct this problem. In fact, I was told that there is nothing wrong with my car, and this is how a Toyota rav performs. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11319807, filed 2020-03, 25 miles

   “1.occasionally steering issues, car wanting to veer left or right while driving mainly notice on highway. 2. Second incident where battery dead after not driving car for three days.”

   NHTSA complaint #11389647, filed 2021-01, 10,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   "Engine Maintenance Required" message and coolant valve

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report an "Engine Maintenance Required" or "See Dealer" message appearing, sometimes with the instrument cluster going blank or with shuddering and overheating while driving. According to complaints, dealers diagnosed a coolant bypass or flow shut-off valve. Some owners were told the vehicle was not covered by a recall; in others the warning stayed on and covered the speedometer. Reported between roughly 35,000 and 66,000 miles in this sample.

   Recall 20V0640004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Scan for stored codes before buying and ask whether the coolant flow shut-off valve has been replaced. Watch for coolant residue or a sweet smell near the front of the engine bay, and confirm the message does not appear on a cold start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the message Engine Maintenance Required - See Dealer was display on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. In addition, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11604791, filed 2024-07, 47,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and the engine was overheating. The message See Dealer for Maintenance was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that an unknown cooling system valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11595078, filed 2024-06, 35,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Water collecting inside door panels and sunroof leaks

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe hearing water slosh inside the doors and having to drain it out, with one complaint tracing a similar wet condition to the sunroof area. A dealer reportedly told one owner the source was failed door seals. Several complaints note the vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. Reported from a few thousand miles to well past 100,000 miles, often noticed after rain or a car wash.

   What to check: After rain or a wash, open and close each door and listen for sloshing, then check the carpet and door bottoms for dampness. Ask whether door seals or the sunroof drains have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the driver's side and passenger's side rear doors were retaining water. The water was sloshy inside the doors while driving. The contact had to drain the water from both doors. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,500.”

   NHTSA complaint #11602375, filed 2024-07, 2,500 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that during inclement weather, moisture entered the vehicle through the front passenger side and the rear driver side doors. The contact stated that upon opening both the front passenger’s and the rear driver’s side doors, there was a water swishing sound coming from inside the doors. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11679756, filed 2025-08, 58,000 miles

Buying note. This model year shows a fairly narrow set of recurring complaints rather than a wide spread of failures, and most center on the fuel gauge, the battery, and the steering feel. A few of those are easy to confirm on a test drive, so plan to fuel the vehicle, let it sit, and drive it at highway speed before deciding.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.